Monday, April 18, 2016

Practising saddling a horse

I am here at the ranch to learn more about horses and
discover the wilderness by horseback riding. But first step first, if I want to
ride I first need to practice saddling. Knowing how to do it right will avoid
sores and injuries and allow a safe ride. So I better invest myself in learning
it well.

In the beginning it seems really like a lot of information
to catch. There are a few new strange words such as latigo or cinch and
complicated knots to learn. You have to find the right saddle for you and that
also fits the horse. And in the meantime, it is great, you are in contact with
the horse and you begin to establish a relationship with it.

First step: catching your horse. That might seem simple but
horses like to play and are not always willing to leave their hay to come work
with you. Most of them test you and if you can be firm enough at the first
contact you might not encounter difficulties to put an halter on them and bring
them to the barn. When you practice saddling you can actually feel the
difference of character between the horses: you have the gentle one, the patient
one, the more anxious one, the lazy or sleepy one,... but most of them are
impatient and scrape their hoof on the ground to claim oats and high fat
pallets they know they will receive when working with us. That is pretty
amusing to watch. And at least while they are eating they do not care at all of
what you are doing! No worries as long as they have their snack.

Then if you have found a saddle your size, the fun parts
begin: trying to find the right adjustment of the saddle for the horse you
have! Believe me that could take some time! Practically you put the saddle on
your horse and test if your fist fits under the horn at the level of the
withers. If not, you will need a cheater. You also check if your horse have a
sway back because than you will need a rocker to level your saddle. This step
of adjusting the saddle with the right equipment is for me the longest and most
complicated one. The blanket must be over the highest point of the back of the
horse and to place it right you always have to make it slide from head to butt
otherwise it would be like somebody was rubbing your hair in the wrong
direction. You would not like it and the horse neither! The saddle needs to be
placed just after the shoulder so that it does not restrain its movement during
the ride.

And after that there is the cinch! You attach it to the
latigo and make it surround the horse's belly. Believe me they do not like it!
First time it tried I was busy tying it when I realized that the horse's head
was just next to my face, trying to bite me I thought... Actually they do not
really want to bite, they are gentle but just want you to realize that they do
not like the cinch. There also you notice that some are more sensitive than
others, just like humans!

At that point the most
complicated part is done. I usually feel relief because I struggle less with
the last steps. Basically you will add a breast collar (in front) and a crouper
(at the butt) to avoid the saddle to move forward or backward on the steep
mountain trails. The breast collar is easy to place, you just have to make sure
it is centred and placed above the breast without constraining the movements of
the legs. I find it quite funny though to squat next to this big horse to
attach the collar to the cinch on the belly. You feel so little next to this
powerful animal! For the crouper there is still a tricky part: the bowline
knot! It needs a lot of practice to be able to do it on yourself but the story
that goes with it is funny: “There is a rabbit and a tree. In the tree there
is a hole. The Rabbit goes in the loop of the saddle, goes out of the hole,
turns around the tree and goes back in the hole”. Then with the free end you
go under the tail and come back to make the same story.

When an experience guide has checked your saddle you can put
on the bridle. You do it after having untied the horse from the post, which
means it is more free of its movements. They hate the bridle because the metal
is cold and uncomfortable. So they will fight to avoid it by pulling their head
up or moving further... It is quite interesting to practice your “bossy” skills
at that moment to make the horse stay quiet. Most of the time you will have to
tickle their tongue with your thumb at the place where there is no teeth, you
do not want to offer your thumb to be bitten ! And you can see they struggle to
resist to the tickling and try to keep their mouth shut. When they open their
mouth, you better use the chance to place the bridle. I only once have met a
horse that was actually trying to eat the bridle which was really funny and
amazingly easy!

And now there is time that
you practice your riding skills: have fun with your carefully saddled horse!

About Unknown

We are a licensed guide outfitter and we conduct guided wilderness adventures throughout our 5,000 square km operating area. This guide area has been operational since 1880, making it the oldest in British Columbia. More about us HERE.